


Nobody puts Coulson in a corner

by Pegship



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Coulson Lives, Dancing, Fluff, Gen, Post-Movie(s), Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 04:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pegship/pseuds/Pegship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve varies his workout with dance lessons, Phil goes to physical therapy (on Saturday nights?), and the Avengers find out what happened with The Cellist. Yes, the title is a ginormous hint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nobody puts Coulson in a corner

Steve Rogers figured one way he could honor Peggy's memory would be to learn how to dance. New York City was still teeming with dance halls and clubs, many of which hadn't changed their style since his time. Back then he'd been too unwell to dance but he loved to watch; now he could let loose.

Once he found his feet instead of his partner's, that is.

"You should come, sometime," he told Maria Hill once over a beer.

"You just want to dance with somebody who wears steel-toed shoes," she replied with a grin.

"It's been ages since I stepped on anyone," he protested. 

Maria wasn't into any kind of dancing, though she conceded she'd like to go for the music some time. Pepper was more interested in the dancing.

"You sure Tony won't mind?" Steve asked her a bit apprehensively.

"Please." Pepper rolled her eyes. "He makes the steps up as he goes; I'm just a good follower. Dancing is not his thing, and he'll consider it a mercy if you indulge me."

"Indulge" wasn't a very reassuring word, but Steve took it at face value. The next time he saw Tony, the latter ribbed him about going on some dancing shows on television. Steve watched one episode, with a tall, gangly dancer who looked vaguely like Thor and a short brunette bombshell, and dismissed the idea.

"I'm just doing it for fun," he said. "And exercise. It's a nice change from running and boxing."

When Phil Coulson was well enough for active duty, the Avengers all took him out to dinner and regaled him with stories of how badly they'd been doing without him.

"Sitwell's okay," said Steve. "His style is just - different."

"Flippant," snorted Natasha.

"And a prankster," Tony groused. He hated it when anyone out-pranked him.

"Too easy to read," added Clint. "Nothing compares to your poker face, Phil."

Phil smiled his gently noncommittal smile and promised to come by for cards some night. 

"I have physical therapy on Saturday evenings," he said. "Next Friday, maybe?"

A few weeks later, Phil didn't show for poker night and Pepper looked a little worried.

"Has anyone seen him today?" she asked around the table, and everyone shook their heads.

"He's a grownup," said Bruce. "Your deal, Pepper."

Phil came to work on Monday looking better than ever - more color in his cheeks, a lighter step. Steve had his suspicions, which were confirmed when Sitwell asked if Phil had enjoyed his weekend out of town.

"It was lovely," Phil replied. "Where are those specs for the range refit?"

Meanwhile, Steve continued his roving dance lessons, mostly on weeknights because the floors weren't so crowded. Pepper noticed that he wasn't taking along anyone from their circle of associates and asked him about it, and Steve just grinned and said, "Plenty of fish in the sea."

Phil missed the next Friday night; Steve was also absent, which meant Tony had fewer people to distract and more time to wonder what Phil was "up to these days".

"Funny how he and Agent are both absent this evening," he mused pointedly. Natasha glanced at Clint and they both smirked. "Hey, what do you guys know about it?"

"Nothing," said Clint immediately. "Except that Phil is as straight as any of my arrows, and Nat and I both know where he spends his weekends off."

The following Friday night, Steve was in attendance and he made a general invitation to the assembled party.

"There's a competition at this dance club I've been going to," he said, a bit bashfully. 

"Are you going to trip the light fantastic, Steve?" Bruce inquired. "I'd pay good money to see that."

"Maybe," Steve hedged. "I'd like you all to be there, if you'd like."

They assured him they'd be there.

The following evening, Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint arrived at the designated club, dressed in their near-best attire and ready for a night on the town. They were mildly surprised to find Thor standing outside, chatting with Steve; the former wore a well-made Midgardian suit, no tie, but Steve was dressed to the nines in a tuxedo.

"Told you he was gonna go for it," Tony murmured to Bruce. "You owe me a hundred bucks next time we play Monopoly."

"The night is young," Bruce shrugged. "We'll see."

What they saw was absolutely not at all what any of them expected. Any except, apparently, Steve Rogers.

When the lights dimmed after the second break, Steve stepped up on the small stage and took the mike.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he beamed (they'd forgotten he'd been in show business once). "Tonight, for your special enjoyment, we feature the semi-finals for the West Side Swingers dance competition."

He rattled off a few of the requirements and mentioned that there were four couples in the semis, who would be judged at the end of the evening to see who came back next week.

"Our first couple have come back from a six-month hiatus that interrupted their faithful appearances on this very floor, during which they've learned a few new tricks and polished up the old ones," said their emcee. "I present to you Mr. Phil Coulson and Miss Jennifer Grey."

The crowd erupted in applause and cheering as the Tower contingent gaped, stared, and, in Thor's case, pounded on the table. There he was. Phil Coulson, mild mannered SHIELD agent and only recently dead, in a crisp white shirt, black slacks, and a multicolored necktie, escorting on his arm an elfin figure with floating hair, clad in something lavender and swirly that barely fell to her knees.

"What. The."

Tony stopped forming words when Thor clapped a hand on his shoulder. "So this is the surprise Steve spoke of! It seems to have succeeded beyond measure."

Steve was standing off to one side, grinning and watching the couple as they moved into their dance, sure-footed and with perfect timing. The small band on the stage kept the beat lively and the dancers had eyes only for each other. 

When the dance ended, Phil and his partner left the floor amid even more thunderous applause and headed toward the table where Tony and his group were seated. Steve had already launched into his next introduction when Phil pulled out a chair to seat the lady and Pepper turned shining eyes on him.

"Phil, that was - stunning."

Phil just smiled and said, "Thank you. We've been having some fun putting it together. Can I get you something, honey?" he said, turning to Jennifer.

"The usual," she replied. Phil nodded and went off to the bar, and she turned to look at the group. "We haven't been introduced," she said gaily.

"Well, you might recognize some of us from news coverage," said Natasha, shaking her hand. "Natasha Romanoff. This is Dr. Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, and you probably know Tony and Pepper. And this is Thor Odinsson."

"I'm deeply honored," said Thor and kissed her hand.

"Show-off," Tony said under his breath.

"If I'm not mistaken," Thor went on, ignoring his friend, "there seems to be more than simple amazement at Coulson's previously hidden talents. Pardon my ignorance, my lady, but are you well known here on Midgard?"

"You might say that," said Phil, showing up with drinks and seating himself. "Miss Grey has had a long career as a dancer and actress. We met - well, when I first moved to the city."

"Phil came to see a show I was in, and he knew some of the guys in security," Jennifer said, leaning comfortably into Phil's arm. "The rest is history."

Steve joined them; evidently there was a break between the second and third couples.

"D'you like my surprise?" he asked the group.

"How long have you known about Agent?" Tony wanted to know.

"Dancing? A couple of months," Steve replied. "I walked in and saw him and Miss Grey dancing together and it was just like - being home again, if you know what I mean."

Jennifer beamed at him and he blushed. Then *Phil* beamed at him and he cleared his throat and went on quickly, "He made me promise not to tell - you were practicing for tonight, weren't you?"

Phil nodded.

"And the weekend you didn't make it to poker night..." said Clint.

"I was in Portland," said Phil. "Rehearsing...and stuff."

His date laughed and Pepper's eyes widened. "Portland? I thought there was - she moved - ?"

She obviously couldn't decide how to phrase her question; Natasha stepped in and said, "It was a code name, wasn't it? The Cellist."

"Wait, what?" said Steve. "Tony, I remember when I asked, did Phil have a family, you said there was - a cellist - "

Jennifer stuck her hand in the air. "But I'm not really a cellist," she said. "I don't know where Phil came up with that. And I have a house in Portland, so when he goes off your radar he's usually with me. When he's not working."

"So you two didn't break up," Pepper put in. "You moved to Portland, but that wasn't the end of it - "

"It was, almost," said Jennifer quietly. Phil leaned in to kiss her temple.

"And when I returned from the dead, I spent a lot of time there recuperating," he said. "Fury and Hill came up often to keep me up to speed on you all."

"Came...up?" Tony frowned.

Phil looked at him for a moment, puzzled. Then he laughed and said, "There's more than one city named Portland, Tony."

"Portland, Maine," said Steve. "I think the USO played there, once. Listen, I gotta go finish the show. Stick around and see the couples Phil and his lady are gonna beat."

He moved away and Phil and Jennifer rose from their seats.

"We're gonna go mingle," said Phil. "Thanks for coming, all. It means a lot."

As he and Jennifer smiled and melted back into the crowd, Pepper could hear Tony humming the song they'd danced to.

"I've had the time of my life..."

**Author's Note:**

> For those just tuning in, Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson) has been married to Jennifer Grey (who starred in _Dirty Dancing_ ) since 2001.


End file.
